Traveling with Essential Oils (Part One)

I know , I know...essential oils are all the craze right now, and as bad as I didn't want to like them, I do. In fact, I'm kind of in love with them! Natural medicine, I mean what's not to like? You know what the real turning point for me was though? My son, who is constantly plagued with strep throat, conveniently comes down with it the DAY BEFORE we are supposed to leave for Disney World..and it was a Saturday. I had been doing some reading on oils, and I am a firm believer in Apple Cider Vinegar, I thought with these two things I think I can beat his strep throat, let's give it a go. I found mini bottles of ACV (with the mother), brought my local honey, a lemon, a borrowed diffuser, and a few handy essential oils (that I picked up at Whole Foods) with us for the journey. Now, most 6 year olds probably won't gargle ACV, it took some threatening for my own son to do it, but after just two days of gargling the oil and honey, and diffusing oils in the room when we were sleeping, we had drastically reduced the symptoms of strep! Within a couple more days, it was gone completely! I have read that letting your body cure itself of strep will help you build up a tolerance to getting it, I am really hoping that is true! Ok, enough homeopathy, on to the travel stuff. The beauty of traveling with oils is that they are so portable! From diffusers, rollers, necklaces, and bracelets, you can be surrounded with by their healing powers all the time! My kids have asked me if I am a witch now because I am constantly making new oil blends for various things, like: wetting the bed, headaches, foot pain, and restless leg syndrome! I'll talk more about those blends in Part Two of this series. I want to take this time to highlight some of the E.O. products we personally use.

One of the first things you will need is a diffuser. This is the basic way to get those oils out in the open for everyone to enjoy. We actually packed ours in my carry-on for Disney World. I set it up on the night stand, and every night I let that sucker steam the sick out of my son, and I believe, keep the strep at bay and from spreading to us! Most diffusers are made out of plastic, some are large, some small. You can get ones with colorful lights for your kids' room even. My suggestion is if your traveling grab one that fits 200 to 250ml of water. Find one that gives you the option to turn off the lights, if you are like me you can't sleep with any light shining in your face, this model is also very quiet. A feature I really like about this particular brand is that you can set a timer ranging from 60 minutes to 6 hours. You can also set it to run a steady stream of mist, or an intermittent one. Aside from releasing steamy, oily goodness, these also act as humidifiers. Yay! If you would like to try out this one you can follow the link at the bottom of the page or here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076HLG9BS

Now on to the actual oils. As you can see I am not brand loyal. I do prefer the NOW brand oils because they are priced well and typically come in the 1oz bottles. I haven't found any brand that works better than any other. After some research I know that there are brands that are very pure, and come straight from the plants and their indigenous locations. But I have also found that my $8 bottle of oil works too, and since I am not wealthy, I choose to go with the ones I can afford! Don't feel guilty about this, another reason those mlm brand oils are higher is because those companies have massive insurance bills in case something should happen if they are ingested. You will see that these "off" brand oils contain a warning not to ingest or apply directly to the skin, that's their insurance and why they can keep costs down. The main thing I want you to take away from this is that most oils will work just fine as long as you find ones that are 100% pure and that don't contain any additional filler oils. At the end of this post you can sign up to receive the exact blend I used to fight strep throat! I have also added a link to an amazing deal on a package of NOW brand oils, this would be a great starter set for those new to the game or those wanting to expand their collection!

Rollers, I love these! Look how pretty they are, this set even came with labels! After some reading I found that you should use a dark, glass bottle with a stainless steel roller ball. Sounds like it could get expensive right? Nah, these babies were about $9.00 for 8 of them and they came with the labels I mentioned before, a pipette, and a little tool that helps you pop off the rollers. These guys make it so easy to travel with your oils. All you need is a carrier oil, like almond or jojoba oil and your mix of essential oils that you plan to use. Carrier oils have different properties, I recommend finding one that tickles your fancy. I am currently using the NOW brand Sweet Almond Oil and really enjoy it. Pinterest will be your best friend for finding that perfect blend of oil for whatever is ailing you. The possibilities are endless, they have blends for calming, focus, sleeping, back pain, cellulite, you name it, there's an oil for it! And don't be scared to look up oil properties and make your own blends, find what works for you and your family! Again, I have added this set of rollers down below for your shopping convenience.

Guys, it is so simple, and it doesn't have to be expensive!! The reason I had shied away from oils for so long was because I simply couldn't afford it! Those larger MLM companies have people to pay, so their products have to be marked up some, I get it. And it is a great thing, with great products. But, there are other good products out there as well. And after doing some research I found that the oils I was using weren't any different then those others! As always, I encourage you to do your own research, and find your own truth! Hope this post helps someone.

Email me here to find out the oils I used to beat Strep Throat!